Monday, December 28, 2015

"Bethlehem teaches us that God's ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts ours...it never entered into the heart of man to conceive what God had prepared that we might love Him -- a little wailing Child, waiting in His crib for our welcome and our pity, for the shelter of our arms, for the kiss of our lips, for the love of hearts human like His own." ~Mother Mary Loyola

When Jesus was twelve years old, he stayed behind in Jerusalem. Not knowing this, his parents sought him anxiously, but did not find him. Though they searched the whole caravan, looking for him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances, he was nowhere to be found.It was his own parents who were looking for him—the father who had brought him up and cared for him when they fled into Egypt—and even they did not find him at once. This shows that Jesus is not found among relatives and acquaintances, nor among those bound to him by physical ties. We do not find him in a crowd. Let us learn where it was that Joseph and Mary discovered him; then in their company we too shall be able to find him.They found him, scripture says, in the temple. Not just anywhere, but in the temple; and not just anywhere in the temple, but among the doctors, listening to them and asking them questions.And so we too must look for Jesus in the temple of God; we must look for him in the Church, among the doctors who belong to the Church and are faithful to its teaching. If we seek him there, we shall find him.Moreover, anyone who claims to be a doctor without possessing Christ is a doctor in name only; Jesus, the Word and Wisdom of God, will not be found with him.They found him, then, “sitting among the doctors,” or rather not merely sitting, but learning from them and listening to them. At this very moment Jesus is present among us too, questioning us and listening to us speaking. It is further written, “And they were all amazed.”What caused their astonishment? Not his questions—though these were certainly extraordinary—but his answers. He questioned the doctors, and since they could not always give an answer, he himself replied to his own questions.These replies were not mere disputation, but real teaching, exemplified for us in holy scripture where the divine law declares: “Moses spoke, and God answered him.” In this way the Lord instructed Moses about those matters of which he was ignorant.So it was that sometimes Jesus asked questions, sometimes he answered them; and, as we have already said, wonderful though his questions were, his replies were even more wonderful.In order, therefore, that we too may be his hearers and that he may put to us questions which he himself will then answer, let us pray to him earnestly, seeking him with great effort and anguish, and then our search will be rewarded.Not for nothing was it written: “Your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” The search for Jesus must be neither careless nor indifferent, not must it be only a transitory affair. Those who seek in this manner will never find him.We must truly be able to say: “We have been looking for you anxiously”; if we can say this then he will reply to our weary and anxious soul in the words: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”Origen, 183-253

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Today,
the Son of God is born, and everything changes. The Saviour of the world comes
to partake of our human nature; no longer are we alone and forsaken. The Virgin
offers us her Son as the beginning of a new life. The true light has come to
illumine our lives so often beset by the darkness of sin. Today we once more
discover who we are! Tonight we have been shown the way to reach the journey’s
end. Now must we put away all fear and dread, for the light shows us the path
to Bethlehem. We must not be laggards; we are not permitted to stand idle. We
must set out to see our Saviour lying in a manger. This is the reason for our
joy and gladness: this Child has been “born to us”; he was “given to us”, as
Isaiah proclaims (cf. 9:5). The people who for two thousand years has traversed
all the pathways of the world in order to allow every man and woman to share in
this joy is now given the mission of making known “the Prince of peace” and
becoming his effective servant in the midst of the nations. ~Pope Francis, Homily for 2015 Christmas Midnight Mass

Thursday, December 17, 2015

"It is no use saying that we are born two thousand years too late to give room to Christ. Nor will those who live at the end of the world have been born too late. Christ is always with us, always asking for room in our hearts. But now it is with the voice of our contemporaries that he speaks; with the eyes of store clerks, factory workers, and children that he gazes; with the hands of office workers, slum dwellers, and suburban housewives that he gives. It is with the feet of soldiers and tramps that he walks, and with the heart of anyone in need that he longs for shelter. And giving shelter or food to anyone who asks for it, or needs it, is giving it to Christ." ~Dorothy Day

O my Jesus, Word made flesh and splendor of the Father, let us see Your face!

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

“If
you but knew the gift of God!... There is one created being who knew this gift
of God, one who never lost a particle of it…the faithful Virgin, who kept all
things in her heart… The Father, inclining toward this creature so beauteous,
so unaware of her beauty, decreed that she should be the Mother in time of Him
who is His Son in eternity. Then the Spirit of Love, who presides at all the workings
of God, came upon this Virgin and she uttered her Fiat! ‘Behold the handmaid of
the Lord: be it done unto me according to Thy word.’ The greatest of mysteries
was accomplished, and through the descent of the Word into her, Mary was
forever seized upon and held by God." ~Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity

Sunday, December 13, 2015

The liturgy of this Sunday, known as “Gaudete” Sunday, is a special invitation to us to joyfulness, to a vigilance that is not sad but happy.... True joy is not a fruit of “divertirsi” [having a good time] understood in the etymological sense of the word di-vertere (di-version), that is, shirking the commitments of life and one’s responsibilities. True joy is linked to something deeper...to our relationship with God. Those who have encountered Christ in their own lives feel a serenity and joy in their hearts that no one and no situation can take from them. St Augustine understood this very well; in his quest for truth, peace and joy, after seeking them in vain in many things he concluded with his famous words: “and our heart is restless until it rests in God” (cf. Confessions, I, 1, 1). True joy is not merely a passing state of mind or something that can be achieved with the person’s own effort; rather it is a gift, born from the encounter with the living Person of Jesus and, making room within ourselves, from welcoming the Holy Spirit who guides our lives. It is the invitation of the Apostle Paul who says: “May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess 5:23).

Hear and let it penetrate into your heart, my dear little son: Let nothing discourage you, nothing depress you. Let nothing alter your heart or your countenance. Also, do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else that you need? ~~Words of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego, Dec. 12, 1531

I love you, dear Mary, and I thank you for being our Mother Most Wonderful!

O my dear Mother Mary -- our life, our sweetness and our hope! -- I will indeed run after you, with great confidence and abounding joy, because I know that you will always lead me to Jesus, your Beloved Son and my Precious Lord and Savior. Ave, ave, ave Maria!

Friday, December 4, 2015

The Evangelist Luke describes [Mary] as the silent Virgin who listens constantly to the eternal Word, who lives in the Word of God. Mary treasures in her heart the words that come from God and, piecing them together as in a mosaic, learns to understand them. Let us too, at her school, learn to become attentive and docile disciples of the Lord. ~Pope Benedict XVI, 1/1/06 Homily

It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God. ~Lamentations 3:26

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Ave Maria! Have you seen the above image? If not, you can read about it here. The short version is that a woman named Lisa Aldrich selected a cake at the grocery store for her sister's birthday. Lisa asked "a bakery-looking employee" to write "Happy Birthday Mandy" on the cake. It took the employee "a long time," but eventually she returned the embellished cake to Lisa, who promptly thanked her and headed to check-out. There the cashier and several other employees, including the manager, gave the cake "a serious once-over." They told Lisa that the woman who decorated the cake has autism, which is why it took her so long to accomplish this simple task and why the writing on the cake is so askew.Hark! I hear St. John the Baptist crying out "And the crooked shall be made straight!" (Luke 3:5) Miss Cake-Decorator did what was asked of her, even though it wasn't her job. Lisa didn't hesitate to purchase a cake, even though it wasn't picture perfect. Love does what is asked and receives what is given. I suspect that's a birthday cake that Lisa, Mandy and everyone else will remember forever. I hope I do, too.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Yet there is not only the final coming at the end of time: in a certain sense the Lord always wants to come through us. And he knocks at the door of our hearts: are you willing to give me your flesh, your time, your life? This is the voice of the Lord who also wants to enter our epoch, he wants to enter human life through us. He also seeks a living dwelling place in our personal lives. This is the coming of the Lord. Let us once again learn this in the season of Advent: the Lord can also come among us. ~Pope Benedict XVI, 11/26/05 Homily

Monday, November 30, 2015

Unforeseen occurrences that call upon us for immediate action reveal what we are. The Annunciation revealed Mary.... Her midnight prayer interrupted by the salutation of an Archangel; the whole plan of her life reversed; a dignity without a parallel offered for her acceptance -- and her mind retains its balance undisturbed. When this same Angel showed himself to Daniel, "there remained no strength in him, and he fainted away, and lay in a consternation upon his face" (Daniel 10). Mary is troubled indeed for a little space, but at his words, not at his appearance. She treats with him of the advent of the long-expected Messias, the Incarnation of the Son of God, the Redemption of the human race. There is no surprise, no elation, no protestation of unworthiness. Her sole thought is to ascertain the Will of God, and, when this is declared, to accept it with all it involves because it is His will.~Mother Mary Loyola in Hail! Full of Grace

Sunday, November 29, 2015

The Lord says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my
words will not pass away.” He means: “Nothing that is lasting in your world
lasts for eternity without change; and everything that in me is perceived as
passing away is kept firm, without passing away. My utterance, which passes
away, expresses thoughts that endure without change.”

My friends, what we have heard is now clear. Daily the world
is oppressed by new and growing evils. You see how few of you remain from a
countless people; yet daily afflictions still oppress us, sudden disasters
crush us, new and unforeseen misfortunes afflict us.

In youth the body is vigorous, the chest remains strong and
healthy, the neck is straight, the arms muscular; in later years the body is
bent, the neck scrawny and withered, the chest oppressed by difficult
breathing, strength is failing, and speech is interrupted by wheezing. Weakness
may not yet be present, but often in the case of the senses their healthy state
is itself a malady.

So too the world was strong in its early years, as in its
youth: lusty in begetting offspring for the human race, green in its physical
health, teeming with a wealth of resources. Now it is weighed down by its old
age, and as troubles increase it is oppressed as if by the proximity of its
demise.

Therefore, my friends, do not love what you see cannot long
exist. Keep in mind the apostle’s precept, in which he counsels us “not to love
the world or the things in the world, because if anyone loves the world the
love of the Father is not in him.”

The day before yesterday, my friends, you heard that an old
orchard was uprooted by a sudden hurricane, that homes were destroyed and
churches knocked from their foundations. How many persons who were safe and
unharmed in the evening, thinking of what they would do the next day, suddenly
died that night, caught in a trap of destruction?

We must reflect that to bring these things about our unseen
Judge caused the movement of a very slight breeze; he called a storm out of a
single cloud and overthrew the earth, he struck the foundations of many
buildings, causing them to fall.

What will that Judge do when he comes in person, when his
anger is burning to punish sinners, if we cannot bear him when he strikes us
with an insignificant cloud? What flesh will withstand the presence of his
anger, if he moved the wind and overthrew the earth, stirred up the air and
destroyed so many buildings?

Paul referred to this severity of the Judge who is to come
and said: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Dearly beloved, keep that day before your eyes, and whatever
you now believe to be burdensome will be light in comparison with it. The Lord
says of this day through the prophet: “Yet once more and I will shake not only
the earth but also the heavens.”

You see how he moved the air, as I said, and the earth did
not withstand it. Who then will bear it when he moves the sky? What shall we
call these terrors we see but heralds of the wrath to come? We must reflect
that these troubles are as much unlike the final one as the herald’s role is
unlike the judge’s power.

Give hard thought to that day, dearly beloved; amend your
lives, change your habits, resist and overcome your evil temptations. The more
you now anticipate his severity by fear, the more securely will you behold the
coming of your eternal Judge.

Friday, November 27, 2015

The password of the early Christians was joy, so let us still serve the Lord with joy. Joy is love, joy is prayer, joy is strength. God loves a person who gives joyfully, and if you give joyfully you always give more. A joyful heart is the result of a heart burning with love. Works of love are always works of joy. We don’t need to look for happiness: if we have love for others we’ll be given it. It is the gift of God. ~Mother Teresa

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Ave Maria! Here is another favorite cranberry chutney recipe of mine -- this one with blueberries in addition to the cranberries. They go quite nicely together! Once again, I do not recall exactly where I found this recipe. There are thousands of them out there on the Web. There are also some interesting articles about chutney, including one here and another one here. Be sure to use non-reactive pots when making chutneys. The acid in the mixture will react to iron, copper, and brass causing discoloration and pitting to the pot and imparting a metallic taste to the chutney. Wooden spoons or plastic utensils are recommended for the same reasons as non-reactive pots. Most chutneys will last several weeks in the refrigerator due to the acid/vinegar content. A spoonful of chutney into stirred into some plain yogurt makes a yummy snack. Hmmmm, maybe I'll go have some now...oh wait, I can't, I didn't make my Thanksgiving chutney yet! Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow...CRANBERRY BLUEBERRY CHUTNEYIngredients1 and 1/2 cup sugar1 and 1/2 cup water1/3 cup red wine vinegar1 teaspoon grated lemon peel1/3 cup lemon juice1 teaspoon cinnamon1/2 teaspoon allspicepinch nutmeg2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, chopped finely3/4 cup onion, chopped finely2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen1 cup golden raisins

Monday, November 23, 2015

Ave Maria! I was going to say that on a more mundane level I am sharing this recipe for curried cranberry chutney, but this concoction is near sublime. I found this recipe about 30 years ago when I was living in Washington, DC but cannot recall exactly what publication it was in. Whatever, it really is very good and quite easy to make. Paired with cream cheese on good crackers or French bread, it makes a scrumptious appetizer. I am particularly fond of spreading it atop a grilled cheese sandwich. Mmmm good! Tomorrow I will post my recipe for cranberry-blueberry chutney. Enjoy!

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Listen,
everyone, Jews and Gentiles, circumcised and uncircumcised. Listen, all kings
of the earth. I am no hindrance to your rule in this world, “for my kingdom is
not of this world.”

Banish
the groundless fear that filled Herod the Great on hearing that Christ was
born. More cruel in his fear than in his anger, he put many children to death,
so that Christ also would die.

But
“my kingdom is not of this world,” says Christ. What further reassurance do you
seek? Come to the kingdom not of this world. Be not enraged by fear, but come
by faith.

In
a prophecy Christ also said: “He,” that is, God the Father, “has made me king
on Zion his holy mountain.” But that Zion and that mountain are not of this
world.

What
in fact is Christ’s kingdom? It is simply those who believe in him, those to
whom he said: “You are not of this world, even as I am not of this world.” He
willed, nevertheless, that they should be in the world, which is why he prayed
to the Father: “I ask you not to take them out of the world, but to protect
them from the evil one.”

So
here also he did not say: “My kingdom is not in this world,” but “is not of
this world.” And when he went on to prove this by declaring: “If my kingdom
were of this world, my servants would have fought to save me from being handed
over to the Jews,” he concluded by saying not “my kingdom is not here,” but “my
kingdom is not from here.”

Indeed,
his kingdom is here until the end of time, and until the harvest it will
contain weeds. The harvest is the end of the world, when the reapers, who are
the angels, will come “and gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin”; and
this could not happen if his kingdom were not here. But even so, it is not from
here, for it is in exile in the world.

Christ
says to his kingdom: “You are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of
the world.” They were indeed of the world when they belonged to the prince of
this world, before they became his kingdom.

Though
created by the true God, everyone born of the corrupt and accursed stock of
Adam is of the world. On the other hand, everyone who is reborn in Christ
becomes the kingdom which is no longer of the world.

For so has God snatched us from the powers of darkness, and brought us
into the kingdom of his beloved Son: that kingdom of which he said: “My kingdom
is not of this world; my kingly power does not come from here.”~St. Augustine, 354-430

Friday, November 20, 2015

This
king, however, is a liberator and lover. The lord of history who stands before
the throne of God is not a lion. He is a lamb.

A
strange king, to be sure. In the fourth Gospel's account of the Passion, all of
our expectations of kingliness are reversed. The king-servant, who washed his
followers' feet, is strangely grand and noble, yet only in his quiet
vulnerability and the utter truth of his being. He does not muster armies or
amass territories. He just invites, relying on nothing other than our hearts'
response.

...Jesus says that his kingdom is not of this world.
It is a kingdom not fought for with old means of warfare. Rather, it testifies
to truth. It will not kill for the truth, it will die for it. If Jesus is king,
he will be a suffering king. He will not demand ransom. He will be ransom. He
will win, not by spilling the blood of others, but by offering up his own.~Rev. John Kavanaugh, S.J.Meditation for Solemnity of Christ the King

O Jesus, King of Love on Calvary, may Yours be the only crown I seek to wear.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life with fear. Rather, look to them with full confidence that, as they arise, God to whom you belong will in his love enable you to profit by them. He has guided you thus far in life. Do you but hold fast to His dear hand, and He will lead you safely through all trials. Whenever you cannot stand, He will carry you lovingly in his arms.Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. The same Eternal Father who takes care of you today will take care of you tomorrow, and every day of your life. Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.Be at peace then, and put aside all useless thoughts, all vain dreads and all anxious imaginations.~St. Francis de Sales, 1567-1622

On that day when I shall fear, I will trust in you, in God, whose word I praise.

In God I trust; I shall not fear. What can mere flesh do to me? ~Psalm 56:4-5

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

One of the highest of human duties is the duty of encouragement... It is easy to laugh at men's ideals; it is easy to pour cold water on their enthusiasm; it is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. Blessed is the man who speaks such a word. ~William Barclay, 1907-1978)...let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works...encouraging one another... ~Heb 10:24, 23Dear Lord, may I always be Your cheerleader. Alleluia!

Sunday, November 15, 2015

All those who hold to true faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and show proof of their faith by good works, guarding themselves from sins or cleansing themselves from their stains by confession and repentance; who practice the virtues opposed to those sins—temperance, chastity, love, almsgiving, justice, and fair dealing—all these, I say, will rise again to hear the king of heaven himself saying to them: “Come, my Father’s blessed ones, inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”So will they reign with Christ, receiving as their inheritance that heavenly kingdom which cannot be shaken, living for ever in the ineffable light that knows no evening and is interrupted by no night, having fellowship with all the saints who have lived from the beginning of time, and enjoying delights beyond description in Abraham’s embrace, where all pain has fled away, and all grief and groaning.For just as there is a harvest for inanimate sheaves of wheat, so for the rational wheat which is the human race, there is a harvest that cuts people away from unbelief, and gathers into faith those who accept the proclamation of the good news.The reapers of this harvest are the Lord’s apostles and their successors, and in the course of time the teachers of the Church. Of them the Lord said: “The reaper receives his wages, and gathers a crop for eternal life,” for teachers who instruct others in piety will in their turn receive from God such recompense as befits those who gather the obedient into eternal life.But there is yet another harvest: the transfer of each one of us by death from this present life into that which is to come. The reapers of this harvest are not the apostles but the angels, who have a greater responsibility than the apostles, because after the harvesting they sort out the good and separate them from the wicked like wheat from darnel. The good they send on to the kingdom of heaven, but the wicked they throw into hell fire.As for us, who in this present age are God’s chosen people, a priestly race, the Church of the living God separated from all the impious and ungodly, may we be found separated from the darnel in the age to come as well, and united to those who are saved in Christ our Lord, who is blessed for ever. Amen.St. Gregory Palamas, 1296-1359

Sunday, November 8, 2015

“What have you,” asks the Apostle, “that you have not received?” This means, beloved, that we should not be miserly, regarding possessions as our own, but should rather invest what has been entrusted to us.We have been entrusted with the administration and use of temporal wealth for the common good, not with the everlasting ownership of private property.If you accept the fact that ownership on earth is only for a time, you can earn eternal possessions in heaven.Call to mind the widow who forgot herself in her concern for the poor, and, thinking only of the life to come, gave away all her means of subsistence, as the judge himself bears witness.Others, he says, have given of their superfluous wealth; but she, possessed of only two small coins and more needy perhaps than many of the poor—though in spiritual riches she surpassed all the wealthy—she thought only of the world to come, and had such a longing for heavenly treasure that she gave away, all at once, whatever she had that was derived from the earth and destined to return there.Let us then invest with the Lord what he has given us, for we have nothing that does not come from him: we are dependent upon him for our very existence.And we ourselves particularly, who have a special and a greater debt, since God not only created us but purchased us as well—what can we regard as our own when we do not possess even ourselves?But let us rejoice that we have been bought at a great price, the price of the Lord’s own blood, and that because of this we are no longer worthless slaves.For there is a freedom that is baser than slavery, namely, freedom from justice. Whoever has that kind of freedom is a slave of sin and a prisoner of death.So let us give back to the Lord the gifts he has given us; let us give to him who receives in the person of every poor man or woman. Let us give gladly, I say, and great joy will be ours when we receive his promised reward.St. Paulinus of Nola, 353/54-431

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Ave Maria! Among the many homilies, messages and addresses that Pope Benedict XVI gave while he was our Holy Father, one of my favorites is his homily on the Solemnity of All Saints in 2006, which can be found here. The lines below always increase within me my longing to be a saint. According to Pope Benedict, saintliness is not really such a complicated thing after all, but it does mean trusting utterly in the Lord who calls us to follow Him, walking the Way of the Cross with Him, and dying to ourselves so as to live in Him. As Pope Benedict says so succinctly, "Holiness demands a constant effort, but it is possible for everyone because, rather than a human effort, it is first and foremost a gift of God, thrice Holy (cf. Is 6: 3)." Glory hallelujah!

"This, then, is the meaning of today's Solemnity (of All Saints): looking at the shining example of the Saints to reawaken within us the great longing to be like them; happy to live near God, in his light, in the great family of God's friends. Being a Saint means living close to God, to live in his family. And this is the vocation of us all, vigorously reaffirmed by the Second Vatican Council and solemnly proposed today for our attention.

"But how can we become holy, friends of God? We can first give a negative answer to this question: to be a Saint requires neither extraordinary actions or works nor the possession of exceptional charisms. Then comes the positive reply: it is necessary first of all to listen to Jesus and then to follow him without losing heart when faced by difficulties. "If anyone serves me", he warns us, 'he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honour him' (Jn 12: 26).

"Like the grain of wheat buried in the earth, those who trust him and love him sincerely accept dying to themselves. Indeed, he knows that whoever seeks to keep his life for himself loses it, and whoever gives himself, loses himself, and in this very way finds life (cf. Jn 12: 24-25).

"The Church's experience shows that every form of holiness, even if it follows different paths, always passes through the Way of the Cross, the way of self-denial. The Saints' biographies describe men and women who, docile to the divine plan, sometimes faced unspeakable trials and suffering, persecution and martyrdom. They persevered in their commitment: "they... have come out of the great tribulation", one reads in Revelation, "they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Rv 7: 14). Their names are written in the book of life (cf. Rv 20: 12) and Heaven is their eternal dwelling-place.

"The example of the Saints encourages us to follow in their same footsteps and to experience the joy of those who trust in God, for the one true cause of sorrow and unhappiness for men and women is to live far from him.

"Holiness demands a constant effort, but it is possible for everyone because, rather than a human effort, it is first and foremost a gift of God, thrice Holy (cf. Is 6: 3). In the second reading, the Apostle John remarks: 'See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are" (I Jn 3: 1).

"It is God, therefore, who loved us first and made us his adoptive sons in Jesus. Everything in our lives is a gift of his love: how can we be indifferent before such a great mystery? How can we not respond to the Heavenly Father's love by living as grateful children? In Christ, he gave us the gift of his entire self and calls us to a personal and profound relationship with him.

"Consequently, the more we imitate Jesus and remain united to him the more we enter into the mystery of his divine holiness. We discover that he loves us infinitely, and this prompts us in turn to love our brethren. Loving always entails an act of self-denial, 'losing ourselves', and it is precisely this that makes us happy."

Monday, November 2, 2015

Sunday, November 1, 2015

"Dearly
beloved brethren: This day we keep, with one great cry of joy, a Feast in
memory of all God's holy children; His children, whose presence is a gladness
to heaven; His children, whose prayers are a blessing to earth; His children,
whose victories are the crown of the Holy Church; His chosen, whose testifying
is the more glorious in honor, as the agony in which it was given was the
sterner in intensity…" ~from a
sermon by St. Bede the Venerable, taken from Matins on All Saints

Ave Maria! As God's holy children,
the saints are our brothers and sisters. The Father has given them to us,
and how precious they are! They are our beloved companions, our trusted
confidants, our loyal friends. We can count on them. They will help
us if we but call upon them. Their presence gladdens us who are pilgrims
and strangers on the earth (Heb 11:13). Their victories encourage us to
seek the eternal city that is to come (Heb 13:14). Their prayers
strengthen us to live the truth in love and in all things to grow up in Christ
who is our Head (Eph 4:12). Their witness assures us that if we die with
the Lord, we shall also live with Him (2 Tim 2:11).

The saints
were human, like us. They faced the same
obstacles, struggles, difficulties, pains, sorrows, and evils that we do. They also knew the same milestones,
achievements, joys, beauties, wonders, and successes as ours. But they loved our Lord Jesus more than anyone
else or anything else in this world, and thus they faithfully and constantly
strove to imitate Him and to practice His virtues. They could say with St. Paul, "For I
reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory to come, that shall be revealed in us" (Rom 8:18). The saints lived in and for the glory to come
– Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received (Jn 1:16). No wonder we keep this feast "with one
great cry of joy"!

Friday, October 30, 2015

It’s impossible for God to not love us! And this is our safeguard. I can refuse that love, I can refuse just like the Good Thief did, until the end of his life. But that love was waiting for him there. The most wicked and the most blasphemous person is loved by God with the tenderness of a father. And just as Paul said, as the Gospel said, as Jesus said: "Like a hen with her brood." And God the all-powerful, the Creator can do everything: God weeps! All of God’s love is contained in this weeping by Jesus over Jerusalem and in those tears. God weeps for me when I move away from him: God weeps for each one of us: God weeps for the evil people who do so many bad things, cause so much harm to mankind… He is waiting, he is not condemning (us) and he is weeping. Why? Because he loves (us)! ~Pope Francis, 10/29/15

About Me

Dedication

I happily dedicate this blog ... to our Lord Jesus Christ, my Beloved Bridegroom, and to His Mother and mine, Mary, Virgin most faithful ... to my beloved parents, Gladys Yurkevicz and Richard Mansfield, who ignited the fire of God's love in my heart by their own deep love for and great devotion to Him ... and to Ann L. Krumrein, my dear older sister to whom I've always looked up and whose passion for life continually energizes and challenges me. I am most grateful to my sweet Annie for her stunning photography which enhances the pages of this blog.